by Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports

by Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports

CHARLOTTE -- If you follow Danica Patrick on Twitter, you're more likely to see tweets about recipes than racing.

So why doesn't the NASCAR driver talk to her fans more about her on-track life?

"Mostly because I'm usually ticked off because I haven't done better or something like that," she said. "... I figure you all can see it and watch it on TV. You can see it online, but you don't know what I had for dinner! That's why I do that."

Patrick's comments came during a fan forum as part of Saturday's NASCAR preview, which serves as sort of a preseason convention for race fans.

She was among about 70 drivers who posed for pictures, signed autographs and appeared on a central stage. Her session was arguably the highlight as she teased Travis Pastrana, interacted with the crowd and even made mention of her boyfriend, driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr., without prompting.

She told fans her social media strategy was crafted in part because people "all think I'm kind of mean" when she's "the opposite" at home.

"I'm much more girly," she said. "I love to cook. I like to entertain. I like to go to museums. I like working out. I like to see new places, cultures. I'm much different outside of the car. I'm much less intense."

One of Patrick's hobbies prompted a raised eyebrow from driver Regan Smith, who was on stage at the same time.

"Museums?" he asked.

"Yeah! I like museums," she replied.

What kind of museums?

"I like anything, but I like more modern art," Patrick said.

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Dali!"

"Salvador Dali, stuff like that," Patrick said. "Exactly."

That drew laughter from the crowd -- and the panel -- but Patrick was serious.

"No, that's true," she said. "I love Salvador Dali."

Later, Pastrana, the former X Games star who was grouped with Patrick and Smith, was asked about a recent flight he took with team owner Jack Roush. The flight, in a World War II-era plane, took place with Roush at the controls.

Roush has been involved in two serious plane crashes.

Patrick, who told the crowd she was scared of heights, the dark, insects and being washed out to sea while swimming in the ocean, said Pastrana was "braver than I'll ever know."

Smith asked if Pastrana knew of Roush's two previous crashes.

"I was fully aware," Pastrana said.

"He only has one eye (due to the second crash)," Patrick said, piling on. "You know that, right?"

Pastrana joked he took the flight in order to get Roush to let him drive this season. Patrick pretended she was looking at the bright side, but intentionally misfired.

"At the end of the day, if he crashes, and it's a bad, bad one, he's as dead as you are," she said. "He doesn't want to die any more."

"That's not reassuring," Pastrana said.

Unprompted, Patrick mentioned her boyfriend, Stenhouse Jr., when asked about how aggressive she'll race this year.

"I was driving down the road, and Ricky's in the car with me," she said. "I am aggressive on the road. He was like, 'You drive crazy.' I'm like, 'I do, don't I? I drive kind of crazy.' I said, 'I feel I need to take this and bring it on the track more.'

"He's like, 'Yeah, I think that's a good idea. I know you've got it in you, I can see it.' So I think I need to be as aggressive on the track as on the road. It's true. I don't know what it is, but maybe it's confidence on the road. The fact I know I'm better than everyone on the road."